Prehistory: Architecture, Art,
Furniture, and Interiors
The prehistoric
period is the beginning of the history of architecture, art, furniture, and
interior design. It includes the Paleolithic period, Neolithic period, and
Bronze Age. During this time, humans learned how to use natural materials
such as stone, wood, hides, reeds, grasses, and mud to create tools, shelters,
furniture, artwork, and monuments. As humans moved from a nomadic lifestyle to
permanent settlements, their designs became more complex and began to include
both practical and symbolic purposes.
One of the most
important things I learned from this chapter is that prehistoric people did not
create things only for survival. They also cared about beauty, symmetry,
decoration, organization, and meaning. Examples such as the paintings at
Lascaux, the built-in furniture at Skara Brae, Çatal Hüyük, and Stonehenge show
that design has been an important part of human life for thousands of years.
1. Favorite Architecture, Art,
Furniture, and Interiors
1. Lascaux Cave Paintings —
France
Lascaux is famous
for its prehistoric paintings of animals. The cave was likely used for rituals
rather than as a home. I like it because the artwork used the natural cave as
part of the design.
2. Stonehenge — England
Stonehenge is a large stone
monument used for ritual purposes. Its circular arrangement and connection to
the sun and moon show how architecture could have cultural and symbolic
meaning.
3. Skara Brae — Scotland
Skara Brae is a
Neolithic village with built-in shelves, benches, storage areas, and sleeping
platforms. It is an early example of built-in furniture and organized interior
spaces.
4. Çatal Hüyük — Turkey
Çatal Hüyük had homes with hearths,
built-in platforms, and decorated walls. It shows that prehistoric interiors
could be both functional and decorative.
2. Current Applications of
Prehistoric Design
Although modern
architecture is very different from prehistoric architecture, many of the same
design principles are still used today. These include the use of natural
materials, built-in furniture, connection to nature, simple forms, and spaces
with symbolic or cultural meaning.
1. Modern
Stone Architecture
Modern architects
continue to use stone as both a structural and decorative material. Like
prehistoric architecture, contemporary stone buildings can connect people to
the natural environment and create a feeling of permanence.
2. Modern Built-In Furniture
Built-in seating
and storage are still common in modern interiors. This is similar to the
furniture at Skara Brae, where shelves and platforms were constructed directly
into the walls. Modern built-ins help save space and make an interior more
organized.
2. Natural
and Earth-Based Interiors
Modern designers often use stone,
wood, clay, plaster, and other natural materials to create warm and calming
interiors. This is similar to prehistoric design because early humans worked
primarily with materials they could find in their environment.
4. Modern Monumental
Architecture
Modern monuments
continue the prehistoric idea that architecture can represent community,
culture, memory, and important events. Stonehenge demonstrates one of the
earliest examples of using architecture to create a powerful symbolic place.
One Step Further: The Artists of
Lascaux
For my One Step
Further, I chose the prehistoric artists responsible for the paintings at Lascaux
in France. Although we do not know the names of the individual artists, their
work provides an important example of early human creativity and design.
The
Lascaux paintings were created around 17,000 BCE during the Paleolithic period.
The artists used natural pigments to create images of animals such as bison,
horses, and gazelles. I find it interesting that they used the natural curves
of the cave to enhance their artwork.
I chose the Lascaux artists because
their work shows how art can transform a space. Their use of natural materials,
space, and decoration connects to ideas still used in interior design today.
Studying
prehistory taught me that early humans used natural materials, creativity, and
design to create shelters, furniture, artwork, and monuments. I especially
liked Skara Brae because of its built-in furniture and Lascaux
because of its cave paintings. I learned that many prehistoric design ideas,
such as natural materials
Debbie, I like how you decided to use the Lascaux paintings for your "One Step Further" section. The way that the people used the pre-existing space for the design stuck out to me, too. The did not create a canvas to work on, but rather made beautiful designs on the canvas they were provided. I feel like this is important for architecture and interior design today because there is so much we can do with the space that we are already provided. The site or structure given to us holds so many possibilities and the Lascaux' painters understood that. I love the perspective you took on this whole chapter altogether. Great job!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, this post was organized beautifully, and your descriptive choice of words held it all together well. I also appreciate the abundance of images you presented with each topic of design; it was very informative for me to visually see each style run consistently throughout the images depicted. I also particularly liked your modern-day application of monuments, and how they have grown in complexity but still represent a basic human desire for meaning. I also liked your wording when you said stone is used to "create a feeling of permanence". I realize I subconsciously felt that, but didn't know until you pointed it out, very interesting. Beautiful presentation, beautiful wording, awesome job!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I enjoyed how your post was cohesive, and organized beautifully. You can tell it was written very thoroughly, and I enjoyed your perspectives and thoughts! I really appreciate all the visuals you include to let you audience fully understand the time period and the Modern applications as well! The Modern Monumental Architecture was really interesting and I have never seen that before! Your work was beautifully done, and I think you communicated your concepts well! Great work, Debbie!
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie! I really appreciated how your post was clear and concise. Including multiple pictures to provide different perspectives on each topic was a great touch. I also enjoyed your insight that prehistoric people built not only for survival, but to organize, decorate, and create art, like the Lascaux cave paintings. It’s unfortunate we don’t know the identities of many of these early architects and artists, but highlighting Lascaux in your “One Step Further” section was a great choice. Your perspective on this chapter was thoughtful and engaging. Outstanding job!
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
ReplyDeleteThis Blog post was outstanding and very engaging. You summarized the material well. I loved your section on modern interpretations of prehistoric design. Stone architecture, built ins, earthy interiors and monuments were great sections. If possible, please add captions under images if you have information such as name, location or description...
Going into details of Lascaux was excellent for one step further. You will need to add a section at the end of each post that summaries your thoughts on each period. 50/50 points